Lakewood teens save man on basketball court

Lakewood teens save man on basketball court

LAKEWOOD — Leo Castro’s love of basketball may have saved his life last week.

According to the News Tribune, Castro opened the gym at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Lakewood on Tuesday for young people to hang out and play basketball. It was there where he suffered a heart attack, and the teens rushed in to save his life.

“You read a lot of negative things about kids,” said his mother, Nellie Leavitt. “But those kids reacted so fast. One ran across the street for help, another called 911, and two others did CPR.”

Castro remembers nothing from that night. He was rushed to St. Clare Hospital in Lakewood then to St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, where he had four stents implanted.

Castro is doing well, and was released from the hospital Monday night — the same night the teens graduated from Lakes High School.